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CONSTITUTION OF THE PUCL

(Incorporating amendments up to September 04, 2010)

1. Name:

The name of the organisation shall be the People's Union

for Civil Liberties (PUCL).

2. Aims & Objects:

The People's Union for Civil Liberties will try to bring

together all those who are committed to the defence and

promotion of civil liberties in India, irrespective of any

differences which they may have in regard to political and

economic institutions suitable for the country.

The aims and objects of the organisation will be :

(a) to uphold and promote by peaceful means civil liberties

and the democratic way of life throughout India;

(b) to secure recognition to the principle of dignity of the

individual;

(c) to undertake a constant review of penal laws and the

criminal procedure with a view to bringing them in

harmony with humane and liberal principles;

(d) to work for the withdrawal and repeal of all repressive

laws including preventive detention;

(e) to encourage freedom of thought and defend the right of 

public dissent;

(f) to ensure the freedom of the press and independence of 

mass media like radio and television;

(g) to secure the rule of law and independence of the judiciary;

(h) to make legal aid available to the poor;

(i) to make legal assistance available for the defence of civil

liberties;

(j) to work for the reform of the judicial system so as to remove

inordinate delays, reduce heavy expenses, and eliminate

inequities;

(k) to bring about prison reform;

(l) to oppose police excesses and use of third degree method;

(m) to oppose police discrimination on the ground of religion,

race, caste, sex, or place of birth;

(n) to combat social evils which encroach on civil liberties, such

as untouchability, casteism, and communalism;

(o) to defend in particular the civil liberties of the weaker

sections of society and of women and children;(p) to do all acts and things that may be necessary, helpful, or

incidental to the above aims and objects.

3. Criteria of Membership:

(a) Every adult person shall be eligible to be a member of the

organisation if he/she believes that civil liberties must be

maintained in India, now and in the future, irrespective of 

any economic and political changes that may take place in

the country.

(b) Members of the political parties will be entitled to be

members of the organisation in their individual capacity

if they subscribe to its aims and objects. They will have all

the rights of membership except that:

(i) The President, the Vice Presidents, the General Secretaries,

other Secretaries, and the Treasurers of the organisation

or any of its branches shall not be a member of any political

party.

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(ii) At least one-half of the members of the National Council

and the National Executive Committee and of 

corresponding bodies at the State and local levels, shall be

person who are not members of any political party.

(iii) Not more than 10% of the members of the National Council

and the National Executive Committee, and of corresponding bodies at the State and local levels, shall be

members of one political party.

(c) The membership fee will be Rs. 50/- per year, to be

collected once a year. Student members and non-earning

members who are below the age of 25 may pay Rs.10/-

per year as member's fee. The Executive Committees at

every level will be entitled to admit persons from

economically weaker sections of society, like workers and

peasants, at a membership fee of Rs.10/- per year.

(d) Those who pay Rs. 1000/- in a lump sum will be Life

members. Those who pay Rs. 2000/- will be Patron

members of the organisation.

(e) The National Council will have the right, by a two-third

majority, to refuse membership to any person or to remove

any person from membership. The Council of a State

 branch will have a similar right in the respective State.

3 (A) Institutional Members:

In addition to individual members there may be

Institutional members also. All voluntary groups and

institutions (but not political parties or groups affiliated to

them) which agree with the objectives of the PUCL and

desire to join it will be entitled to become Institutional

Members in accordance with the Supplementary Rules laid

down by the National Executive Committee (see at the

end).

4. National Convention

(a) A National Convention of the organisation will be held

once in two years.

(b) The National Convention will review the work of the

organisation and lay down policies and programmes for

future.

5. National Council

(a) The National Council will meet at least once a year.

(b) The National Council will determine the policy and

programme of the organisation, in conformity with the

policies and programmes adopted by the National

Convention.

(c) The National Council will elect the President, one or more

Vice Presidents, one or more General Secretaries, one or

more other Secretaries, and Treasurers for the ensuing term,

as laid down in Clause 7(2).

6. The National Executive Committee:

(a) The National Executive Committee will look after the

growth and work of the organisation, in conformity with

the policies and programmes adopted by the NationalConvention and the National Council.

(b) The National Executive Committee will promote the

formation of branches of the organisation in every State in

India.

(c) The National Executive Committee will promote the

policies and programmes of the organisation during the

interval between two National Convention and meetings

of the National Council.

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7. Elections and formation of National bodies,

calling of National Convention

(1) At least six months before the next National Convention ,

the General Secretary would write to all the State branches

that they should elect, preferably by consensus,representatives of their respective States for the National

Council. The number of members to be elected by the States

will be conveyed to them by the General Secretary in

proportion to the total membership of the PUCL in the

state according to the records with the National office at

the time of the above mentioned letter from the General

Secretary to the State branches. Besides these names, the

General Secretary of the State branch will be an ex-officio

member of the National Council. The names of the

representatives of the State will be communicated to the

General Secretary of the PUCL within two months of the

receipt of his letter. ( The national President and the General

Secretary may nominate, if necessary, some members to

the National Council/National Executive Committee).

(2) At least three months before the expiry of the term of the

current President and other office bearers of the PUCL, a

meeting of the National Council, constituting of therepresentatives of the States, including the State General

Secretary, and the nominees of the national President and

the General Secretary, if any, will be held at a place fixed

 by the General Secretary of the PUCL in consultation with

the President. This meeting of the National Council will

decide, on the basis of consensus, and if necessary, by votes,

the office bearers as mentioned in Clause 5(c ) for the next

term commencing from the date on which the next National

Convention will be held.

(3) The aforesaid meeting of the National Council will also

elect the National Executive Committee of the PUCL which

will comprise of the President, the General Secretary, other

office bearers, all the former presidents, and such other

members as may be decided by consensus by the National

Council or nominated by the national President and

General Secretary.

(4) The outgoing President will be an ex-officio member of 

 both the National Council and the National Executive

Committee.

(5) The aforesaid meeting of the National Council will also

decide the venue and the date of the National Convention.

The National Executive Committee will act as the Subjects

Committee and would meet on the date preceding the

National Convention to decide upon the resolutions, etc.,

to be discussed by the Convention. Members of the PUCL

who want to propose some resolution would send them

to the General Secretary one month before the proposed

date of the Convention.

8. State and District Branches

(a) With the sanction of the General Secretary, who in this

matter will act in consultation with the President, members

of any State may set up a state branch.

(b) As far as possible, in consultation with the General

Secretary of the PUCL, the same pattern would be adapted

at the State and district level for their functioning and

elections.

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(c) A State Council and State Executive Committee of the

 branch will be elected, as far as possible, according to the

procedure laid down in Clause 7 above, in consultation

with the General Secretary.

(d) The provisions analogous to clauses 4, 5, 6, and 7 above

shall govern the State Convention, The State Council, the

State Executive Committee, and the office-bearers of the

State branch.

(e) Out of the membership fee collected in any State, one-third

shall be sent to the National office and two-third shall

remain with the State branch and shared equally with the

district branch concerned.

(f) In case of Life members and Patrons members, 40% of the

amount will be sent to the National office. The entire

amount of such members enrolled directly with the Central

office will be kept there.

9. Supplementary Rules

Supplementary Rules for the organisation shall be made

 by the National Execut ive Commit tee as and when

necessary.

10. Amendments:

The National Council will be entitled by the vote of a

majority of its total membership to alter any part of this

constitution except the aims and object of the organisation

and the criteria of membership as specified in clause 3(a)

above.

Supplementary Rules

for Institutional Membership(Refer to Clause 3(A) of the Constitution)

1. Those groups desirous of admission as InstitutionalMembers will have to (a) announce support to theobjectives of the PUCL and (b) apply for the same, aftertaking a decision to do so as per their respective by-laws.

2. The PUCL National Executive Committee will have thepower to accept or to reject the applications for admissionafter careful consideration.

3. Each group would be required to pay an annual fee of Rs.100/- irrespective of its size, or nature of its activity.The Executive will, however, have the power to reduce

the amount of the fee in exceptional circumstances.4. Each group active in a state will have the right to nominate

one representative as a member of the State Council.

5. Each group active in more than two states will have theright to nominate one representative as a member of theNational Council.

6. All Institutional Members in a State will together be givenone seat on the State Executive Committee in case theirnumber is less than five, and two, if it is five or more.

7. All Institutional Members represented on the NationalCouncil together will, in case their number is less than ten,nominate one person to the National Executive Committeeor two, in case their number is ten or more.

8. The mode of such representation, as provided in 6 & 7above can, either be by rotation or by agreement amongstthe institutional members or will be left to be decided bythem in consultation with the President of the PUCL.

General Secretary, PUCL National

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